With the theatrical release of theBob’s Burgersfilm right around the corner, the excitement just keeps mounting for new content from the Belchers, especially with the possibility of all-new musical numbers. One of the best gags that the Belcher family naturally falls into is a tendency to burst into song. Despite Bob’s (H. Jon Benjamin) more reserved personality, he and his family are extremely musical, as evidenced by the dozens ofBob’s Burgersmusical numbers. There are many songs to listen to before the movie comes out, but these nine are arguably the very best of the bunch.
They say that in musicals, characters sing when they feel like they can’t express themselves any other way. This certainly matches up with Bob’s predicament when he finds himself superglued to the restaurant toilet mere hours before his interview with a big magazine. The song is an optimistic duet between Bob and Louise (Kristen Schaal), who meant for the trap to close on Gene (Eugune Mirman) instead and now feels guilty about causing mayhem on such an important day. The melody is catchy and unique, and when Bob and Louise’s parts come together they fit perfectly, as the father and daughter imagine everything turning out okay. For such a strange premise, it feels like such a relatable song. Who hasn’t felt the guilt and denial that Louise’s line invokes? (“I did absolutely nothing wrong, I’m not to blame, it’s not my fault.")
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“This Is Working”
Another beautifully fun and odd duet, this time between Bob and Linda (John Roberts), “This Is Working” explores the married couple’s dynamic when Linda leaves to work somewhere else. While Linda is unsurprisingly excited about the new position, Bob unconvincingly comments on how life in the restaurant hasn’t changed at all during Linda’s absence. The double meanings in the song juxtapose the different experiences of Bob and Linda — and it doesn’t hurt that Linda’s excitement, paired with her initial ignorance about how to do her new job, gives the song a wonderfully sunny and funny energy that can only come from her.
As Bob tries to connect with Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline), he launches into a charming waltz that paints wealthy life in a colorful and bright shade. That, in and of itself, would have been a hilarious and lovely tune, but the reprise turns everything on its head when Bob and Mr. Fischoeder find themselves in a dangerous predicament. For the second part of the song, more characters get to give their two cents on the situation, which has gone from sunshine and roses to stormy all at once. The fact that the song keeps its charming waltz and 6/8 time holds a mirror to the previous version while still being a bop to listen to.
“I Love U So Much (It’s Scary)”
The recurring boy band, Boyz 4 Now, has been consistently drawing Tina’s (Dan Mintz) attention (and sometimes even Louise’s). Out of all their pop hits, their Halloween-themed love song has got to be one of their best. Complete with a music video that features the boy band dressed as zombies, werewolves, and other spooky monsters, Boyz 4 Now’s song simultaneously makes fun of boy bands and their outlandish and auto-tuned styles and also makes it something you can dance to.
“Twinkly Lights”
Though Ms. Triple X-Mas (Todrick Hall) isn’t a part of the main cast, her special Christmas song definitely deserves to be on this list. When the Belchers go on a quest to steal back their Christmas tree topper and ornaments from a secret rave party, there’s only one way to reinvigorate the Christmas spirit. The singer’s unexpected appearance and energy end up captivating not just the crowd, but Linda as well, leaving the Belchers with a very unique (and festive) experience.
“Happy Crappy Place”
A lot of Bob’s Burgers’ most fun and inventive songs play with duets that juxtapose one character’s experience with another, and “Happy Crappy Place” is exactly what it sounds like: as Bob’s gardening becomes his calm and happy hobby, Linda and Louise struggle to deal with annoying customers in the restaurant. The tune is upbeat and eager, paired perfectly with Bob’s giddy dancing and Linda and Louise’s angry stomping around. It isn’t often that Bob will get so excited about something that he’ll wear a big floppy sun hat and dance around, and it’s also unexpected to see Linda so negative for once. Nevertheless, the song is catchy and will stick in your head for long after the episode has ended.
“Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl”
With the combination of two school musicals comes a sweeping masterpiece of musical chaos and enjoyment. The finale of two musicals merged into one features almost all the Belcher kids’ friend group as everyone has fun with their part (especially the stellar performances of Regular Sized Rudy played byBrian Huskey, Gene’s sometimes-girlfriend Courtney played byDavid Wain, and the Pesto Twins played byLauraandSarah Silverman), and the result is cinematic. Even less musical beats, like Gene being pushed off a building, are saved by clever “special effects” that keep the momentum of the story going. For this performance, the Wagstaff kids deserve a standing ovation.
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“Nice-Capades”
The Belchers are clearly well-versed in musical numbers, and Louise in particular has a knack for being good at anything when it suits her needs. In order to convince Santa that the Belchers have all been good kids throughout the year, they throw a nice-capades show, featuring all three singing about all the nice things they’ve done, real or imagined. They clearly put a lot of effort into the costumes, lyrics, and showmanship, especially Gene during his reenactment of eating evil deep-freezer chicken nuggets. The number even comes with a moment of growth and character development for Louise, who just can’t bring herself to go through with the lies. It’s too bad; her claims of achieving world peace would surely have been impressive.
Though Bob can be monotone and underwhelming, compared to his more rambunctious family, there are a few things he’s extremely dedicated to, and his ability to grill amazing burgers is one of them. With the pressure on during a chaotic wedding, Bob commits to making the perfect batch of burgers to save the day as Linda attempts to alleviate some of his responsibility. Anytime Bob and Linda have a duet, the song is pure fun, especially when their roles are reversed and Bob is the one who needs to be talked out of becoming too excited.
